A Memorable Stunt
by TalysAlankil
Summary: When summer brings an end to the Academy classes and threatens to take Robert away from his parabatai, he decides they need one last memorable night before they part—and the results are more so than he'd ever imagined.


Summer was coming, and with it, the Academy was finally relaxing. Students snuck out, had illicit parties—some of them not so illicit, when teachers were invited to join—and generally enjoyed the precious days they would have together, before they all left, either graduating or simply going back to their families for the next few months.

To Robert, the separation felt worse than for most—because it wouldn't just be from his friends. Someone in Michael's family had decided that Michael had to come back to them, and Robert had been decidedly not invited. Even though _parabatai_ were never meant to be forced apart, they had decided it was within their power to do so, claiming they weren't really Shadowhunters—and therefore, not really _parabatai_ —until they graduated. The very notion sounded ridiculous; as if Michael didn't already feel like the other half of his being.

Why Michael had given in without a fight, Robert had no idea. He'd only muttered something about his aunt, a woman Robert knew he trusted more than his own parents, though by the sound of his voice, that was no longer the case.

In a way, knowing they would be apart was worse than the actual separation. For a whole year, they had lived together as roommates, friends, and _parabatai_. Robert had grown to enjoy his dry wit, learned to notice when Michael shut off from everyone—especially when he _needed_ someone. He'd gotten used to the brief, fluttering touches Michael would sometimes grace him with, and learned how much it meant—never in so many words, just by noticing Robert was the only one Michael was so comfortable with. It all felt like a constant in his life, and placing the Marks on each other should have ensured it would remain that way.

That left Robert unable to enjoy himself, because the parties were too crowded for Michael and he couldn't have fun without him, but staying alone in their room just ended with moping and ranting against their parents and the world, and that didn't lift either of their spirits.

The idea came to Robert when he overheard a few other students on the morning of their last day at the Academy. They would be leaving the next day at dawn, and everyone had decided to compete for who could pull off the craziest stunt. Maybe that was what they needed—their _own_ crazy stunt. Something to take their minds off of their situation, and remind them they could take everything that would come their way.

Armed with his idea, it didn't take long for Robert to determine what they would do—just the thought of _taking his mind off_ was enough to bring up the answer. And, with a tinge of pride, he was also pretty sure it would double as the most impressive stunt any of his peers would accomplish that night.

The biggest issue was convince Michael to play along. Michael was not the biggest risk-taker; Robert doubted that just asking would work out. So instead, after dinner, he just followed Michael to their room, settling next to him on his bed and falling into comfortable silence. There was no more anger or sadness left in his _parabatai_ —only acceptance and the need to be in Robert's company for a while longer. Robert was pretty sure he mirrored those feelings right back to Michael.

When he let out a sigh, it didn't even feel forced. "We need to get out of here."

Michael let out a faint snicker. "You already suggested we should disappear all summer; I thought we'd been over this."

"Not _all summer_." Though Robert maintained it would have been worth it, even if one or both of them was forsaken by their family as a result. "Just tonight. I don't want to spend our last night locked up in here."

Michael sat up and stared down at him. "What do you have in mind?"

"Such suspicion!" Robert said, faking a pout. "Why do I need to have anything in mind?" Michael simply raised an eyebrow in response. "Okay, I want to go to Lake Lyn."

"Why?"

"Because…we've never snuck out there together?"

Michael rolled his eyes, his face betraying his skepticism, but he shrugged. "Fine. Why not. Let's go to Lake Lyn."

* * *

Getting Michael to follow him was the hardest part, Robert knew. Once they were on the lake's shore—and Michael noted with unveiled relief that they weren't meeting up with anyone—everything else was easy.

"So what do you wanna do now?" Michael's question was not an idle one, but Robert would have been more surprised if his _parabatai_ hadn't figured out he had a plan.

"We're going for a swim," he said, as nonchalantly as he could manage.

Michael tensed immediately. "Robert, that's _dangerous_."

"We're not going to _drink_ anything. I've read up on it: so long as you don't drink, the aftereffects fade after a few hours tops. You can swim, I can swim. We'll be fine."

"I don't even have a change of clothes."

"Man, that's just a weak excuse. It's just us here." He refrained from adding the obvious—that they'd both had plenty of opportunities to see each other naked before. Michael's blush was enough to let Robert know that he remembered. "It's just something to do to make this night special," he said in a sobered tone.

Michael still didn't budge. Maybe he was nervous, maybe he didn't trust Robert's research wholeheartedly—for which Robert couldn't really blame him—or maybe it was something else. But Robert could see the cracks in his hesitation.

"Well, if you're not coming, I'm going alone." As he spoke, he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it on the ground and turning to the lake—away from Michael. His boots followed, then his pants, and finally his underwear. He walked towards the lake without hesitation, even when his feet breached the water. It felt cold—almost unbearably so—but part of Robert expected something more, and it didn't seem to be there. Maybe the properties of the lake were just a myth made to keep children away from it?

He only stopped when the water reached his waist, turning back to grin at Michael. "Are you sure you're not coming?"

Michael's expression had softened to an indulgent smile already. "Fine."

Robert took a few more steps into the lake, just in case Michael needed more incentive, but he soon heard his _parabatai_ wading through the water behind him. He paused, waiting until Michael caught up with him, then turned around to face him again.

"You couldn't find anything simpler to do?" Michael grumbled.

"Then I'd be worried you'd forget me over the summer."

"I don't think that's going to happen," Michael said.

"Aw, you _do_ care!" Robert teased. "I'd go for a hug, but…it might be awkward."

His words made him suddenly realize how close to each other they were standing—barely a few inches apart. It was nothing out of the ordinary, and with the water reaching up to their navels, he could almost pretend this was just like another night where they'd hang out on one of their beds with their legs tangled, and yet…it wasn't.

Robert shook his head. "Come on, it doesn't count if we don't get to somewhere deep enough that we can't stand."

He turned back, ignoring Michael's whimper of complaint, and progressed into the lake until he lost his footing. Then he swam even further, waiting until he heard Michael was following him. And when Michael did, Robert dove underwater.

Being completely immersed in Lake Lyn's water, Robert finally recognized a heady feeling that was growing inside of him. Maybe it was because he was completely in it, or maybe the water just took a while to take effect. Even then, it was nothing more than when he had a few glasses of wine with his parents—certainly nothing to worry about.

He opened his eyes, taking in how clear and breathtaking the lake was. Moonlight pierced the water in such a way that it almost seemed brighter underwater. Robert felt like he could see everything—as far as the other end of the lake. And behind him, he could also see Michael swimming up to him, hesitating for a moment above where Robert had gone underwater, then finally, diving himself after Robert.

The look of marvel on Michael's face when he opened his eyes looked like a mirror of how Robert felt, taking in the sights around them, before they settled on Robert. Their eyes met, and locked; the more Robert stared at his _parabatai_ , the more it seemed to him that the moonlight wasn't silver, bathing everything in gray, but that it brought out every color out of Michael. His dirty blond hair turned to gold, his eyes to amber. His skin glowed from within, with the dark lines of his Marks blocking that glow—all except for his _parabatai_ rune, that pulsed its own, iridescent colors.

That last detail was the one that pulled Robert out of its contemplation—that wasn't supposed to happen. And with that small breach of reality, the ache in his lungs also came back to the forefront of his mind. He kicked towards the surface, desperate for air. But when he breached, followed closely by Michael, he couldn't feel any fear of stress for what had just happened. All he could do was laugh, heartily and loudly, too hard to even properly swim. Michael caught him and held them both afloat, but his own laughter joined Robert's into the otherwise silent night air, so maybe he felt the same.

When he finally managed to quiet down, Robert's gaze focused on Michael. He was still like a miniature star in front of Robert, burning with colors and pleasant warmth. That last part, Robert realized, wasn't just the water's effects: in holding Robert, they had drifted close to each other, skin pressed against one another. Robert found that he didn't not mind all that much.

Michael's gaze on him had a hint of uncertainty, his smile a fragility that Robert wasn't sure he understood. Maybe the water was messing with his head more than he'd first suspected, and that was why he couldn't read his _parabatai_ like an open book as usual.

"I think that's enough to _count_ ," Michael finally said. "We should get back to the shore. Can you swim on your own?"

"I'm not sure I want to," Robert blurted out before he could think. "But…yeah. I'm good." Michael tentatively let go of him, clearly ready to catch Robert again should he need to, but Robert really was okay. He was more than that—he was _fantastic_. "Race you?"

Michael scoffed, but he quickly swam past Robert, in spite of his head start. When they reached shallower water, Robert managed to catch up with him, though, and threw his arms around Michael's shoulders. "Are you running away from me?"

"What if I am?"

Robert couldn't tell if he was teasing or not, and his puzzlement made him let go. "All right, now what?" Not his best attempt at changing the subject, he realized, cringing.

"Let's just get out of the water."

The night air was deliciously warm, a definite improvement from the lake's cold. Combined with his current high, it was enough to lift Robert's spirits again.

"Come on," he called out to Michael before letting himself drop to the ground.

"What're you doing?"

"We don't have any towels, so we're gonna have to wait here until we're dry. Plus, the grass is soft. It's nice."

Michael huffed out a soft laugh, and crouched. "It _is_ pretty nice," he finally said.

He knelt down, but Robert let out a soft whimper. "What're you doing? Come closer."

Michael froze. "What?"

"This is about us spending the night together. It doesn't work if you're so far from me."

"I'm not _that_ far," Michael said, but he was already on his feet. Robert closed his eyes, following the sounds of Michael as he moved closer, hesitated slightly, then lied down on the grass, close enough to Robert for him to feel heat radiating off Michael's skin. It felt nice, that heat, and Robert shuffled a little closer to take more of it in.

Silence fell between them, comfortable and content, humming with something unsaid—unless that was also the water's effects. "Do you see the lights too?" Robert asked.

"Yeah. The sky looks beautiful like that." And Michael was right—the sky was colorful, now, a saturated gradient of every color imaginable, and maybe a few Robert wasn't sure he could name, with trailing stars slashing across it like so many scars, or so many runes.

But it wasn't what Robert was talking about. None of these lights compared to the ones that bathed Michael, even now when they were only at the edge of Robert's sight. It was too enticing to look away for long, even compared to the sky, so Robert just turned to Michael to drink it all in.

It took him a moment to realize what he'd done, of the way he'd rolled to his side even they'd already been touching. Their skins were now pressed flush against one another, including in a few places they had never touched each other before. Michael was still as a statue, even holding his breath, but Robert found he didn't mind all that much.

"I mean _this_ light," he said, waving a hand over Michael. Then, because he had no idea what else to do, he dropped his hand, landing on Michael's chest.

Finally Michael moved, looking back at Robert. "Yeah, I see it too."

"This is nice," Robert said, and he wasn't sure if he was talking about the lake, the lights, their positions, Michael, or all these things at once. "We should do this more."

"Don't you mean more _often_?" Michael's face softened again—as it always did when Michael was given enough time to grow comfortable with one of Robert's antics.

"I—I'm not sure. Yes. No." In truth, he hadn't—though the idea of doing this more often didn't sound so bad either. But right now, _more_ was definitely what he had in mind, so he did just that: he climbed on top of Michael, draping himself over his friend, his _parabatai_ , the other half of his being. A flurry of emotions crossed Michael's eyes, and for a brief moment, Robert feared he might be rejected. Then he felt one of Michael's hands settle on the small of his back, felt his hammering heartbeat echoed by Michael's, and his fear faded.

He wasn't sure how his lips ended up pressed against Michael's, or who had initiated it, but suddenly they were. It was weird—he was pretty sure he knew what that was, and it felt right, so why was it so unfamiliar? It shouldn't have had to feel unfamiliar. So he kissed Michael, or maybe he kissed Michael _back_ , he wasn't sure, opening himself to him just as Michael did the same.

A sharp, new sensation pierced through the flood of that kiss, and it took Robert a moment to recognize arousal, to put it in the context of Michael, to note that Michael was responding in kind. That too shouldn't have had to feel unfamiliar, and Robert decided it was past time it became familiar. He thrusted clumsily, trying to meet Michael's movements, and when that wasn't enough, one of his hands wound up to wrap around both of them—only to find Michael had had the exact same idea, at the exact same time.

Robert broke their kiss when the buildup became too much to ignore, because he didn't want to close his eyes for this. He wanted to come into the light of Michael, with the image of Michael coming undone burned into his memory; and judging by the look in Michael's eyes, in that too they thought alike.

They finished sooner than Robert would have liked, but it was worth it to see Michael, to hear him calling Robert's name like he was clutching a lifeline. It was worth it to get to kiss Michael again, to meld the bliss of his orgasm with that of the kiss together as if they were just one.

He didn't move, remaining on top of Michael, filthy but happy. He thought they dozed off for a while, but it was hard to keep track of time—and Robert didn't really want to. Events just linked together, and suddenly Michael was suggesting they went back to the lake to clean up, and now _he_ was leading Robert forward in the deep water for a brief dive. During all of them, Robert refused to let go of Michael at any moment—he wasn't sure he could take that right now.

They came back to shore holding hands, and stood there for a moment, before Robert threw his arms around Michael's neck and bringing him closer. He was past seeing lights now—his world was just a tunnel vision of Michael, as if he'd retreated inside himself and of course his _parabatai_ was there too. He thought they'd kissed under the lake's waters, but he couldn't know for sure, so he kissed Michael again, just to be sure.

"I want _more_ ," he said, urging, pressing. "I _need_ more."

"I—Robert, I'm not sure—"

"It'll be okay," he said. " _I'm_ okay." He trailed kisses down Michael's jaw, his neck, his chest. He dropped to his knees, and kissed along Michael's belly, along the line of his erection. He thought about taking it in his mouth, like he'd heard some older students say their girlfriends did, but that wasn't what he wanted now.

All he needed was a few more kisses, enough to make Michael's legs quiver, and Robert could pull him down with him. He laid back on the grass, with Michael on top of him, and wrapped his legs around Michael's waist, pulling him closer, taking note of the weight of Michael's erection against him and how good it felt. Michael seemed hesitant still, yet he didn't resist Robert's prodding either.

"Please?" Robert asked.

"I don't know if it's—if you can—it normally takes preparation—"

A brief spark of curiosity crossed Robert's mind, but he crushed it. "I can take it. I trust you."

Michael nodded, shifted his weight, and hesitated again. "Are you sure I shouldn't—I think I have more experience than you."

Robert couldn't help but frown at that, but he dismissed the thought. "I'm sure."

Even with all his assurance, he wasn't ready for the pressure, or the stretch—and it took him a moment to realize Michael had only used a finger. So maybe he had underestimated what it would be—it didn't matter. What did matter was the wonder in Michael's eyes, the slow pace he adopted when he heard Robert's hissing, the feeling of being secure in Michael's hands.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked after a while.

"Yeah. It feels a little weird, but it doesn't hurt anymore."

"It's like the water's…helping?"

Robert couldn't help but laugh at that. "In more ways than one."

Michael looked up to meet his eyes then. "I guess so, yeah." Just as he said that, Robert felt Michael's fingers—when had it become several?—slipping out, and then Michael was inside of him, and Robert wasn't sure if the water was still messing with his notion of time or if it had everything to do with Michael, with being so _close_ , with feeling like one being physically as well as in his heart.

Then Michael moved, and raw physical sensations overpowered his brain. Not just the feeling of Michael inside of him, but the touch of his hands, of his lips, the rippling muscles of his back against Robert's legs and hands. One of Michael's hand wrapped around Robert's erection, setting his nerves on fire with just his touch and sending him in overdrive when Michael gave a first stroke.

Robert had no idea for how long this went on. Michael's pace started slow and cautious then picked up speed, but it was all he was aware of—nothing else existed anymore. Until even that exploded and Robert came in Michael's hand, with Michael inside of him and Michael's name on his lips. Then nothing was left, nothing but the faint sound of Michael's wordless cries and the feeling of fullness and contentment Robert felt bathed in.

He drifted off again, and came back to his senses with Michael carrying him to the water. "I don't think we should go in again," he mumbled.

"I'm just going to clean us up. For real, this time." And as he said so, Michael lowered them into the shallow water, his hand working softly over Robert's sore body, and it was all Robert could do to hang on to Michael, his face pressed into his neck.

Michael carried him back out of the water, and laid him on dry grass, lying next to him once again, as if none of this had happened and they had just emerged from the water for the first time. But it had, and Michael's hand in his was all the proof he needed.

"Robert—"

Robert couldn't find his voice to answer, so he just let out a small whimper.

"What if you regret this when the water's effects wear off?"

Robert turned his head towards Michael. "I don't see any lights right now, and I don't regret it." He paused. "What if _you_ regret it? I'm not the only one who went in. We were in this together, and it's an experience worth remembering."

"It sure is."

Robert noted that Michael had avoided his question, but he didn't press on. Instead, he closed his eyes, his fingers laced with Michael's.


End file.
